15 fugitive FETÖ members arrested in Ankara

An investigation into the activities of the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ) ended on Wednesday with the arrest of 15 wanted members of the group.

The general prosecutor’s office in the capital Ankara said in a statement that the suspects were among 16 wanted in an investigation while operations were underway to capture the other suspect.

The group came under increased scrutiny following the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, which killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others. Tens of thousands of people have been detained, arrested or fired from the public sector as a result of efforts under the state of emergency.

Hundreds of investigations launched after the attempt accelerated the collapse of the group’s vast network in the country. FETÖ was already in the spotlight after two separate attempts to overthrow the government in 2013 through its infiltrators.

The terrorist group faces almost daily operations as investigators still try to dismantle its vast network of infiltrators everywhere. In 2024 alone, police have apprehended hundreds of FETÖ suspects across the country, including fugitives at the western borders who were trying to flee to Europe.